The Day of the Navy is celebrated in Portugal on May 20 since 1998, in honor of the great achievement of Vasco da Gama (c.1469-1524).

This is the day when his pioneer fleet, for the first time in history linked Europe to the East by sea, arrived in Calicut in India in 1498.

Until 1998, the Navy's Day was celebrated on July 8, the date of the departure of Vasco da Gama's fleet in Lisbon in 1497. With this amendment, it was intended to emphasize the fulfillment of the objective pursued for decades, the discovery of the sea route To India.

The Navy's Day is celebrated every year in a Portuguese coastal town, aiming to strengthen ties between the Portuguese population and its Navy, through an agenda that integrates several events.

This year the celebrations took place in Vila do Conde and Póvoa do Varzim.